Channel strip with snap on holder



CHANNEL STRIP WITH SNAP ON HOLDER Filed June. 10, 1950 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHANNEL STRIPWITHSNAP ON HOLDER William A. Weibel, Chicago, Ill., assignor to CurtisLighting, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationJune 10,1950, Serial No. 167,461

' 'ment or removal of the plate from position of use.

To accomplish this end, it has been thepractice to provide separateclamping means for rigidly securing the holderplate onto the channelmember. Suitable clamping means of the type which have heretofore beenemployed comprise complex structures; which are not only expensive butare very often difficult to mount in their assembled relation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved clampingmeans which is formed of relatively few simple parts thatare easilyinserted in their mounted relation and which securely fixes the holderplate in position of use on the channel member.

Another object is to provide an arrangement of parts which permitsassembly of the plate holder in its mounted relation in a channel stripto'be effected by the use of a snap fastener which is easily and simplyinserted into position of use and just as easily and simply removed, andwhich is effective in its mounted relation to prevent inadyertentdisengagement or displacement of the holder plate, and it is a relatedobjectto produce a new and. improved snap fastener for use in anassemblyof the type described.

2 Claims. (01. 138-75),

' More specifically, the channel strip of the type shown in the drawingsis an elongate rectangular housing having a top wall It and dependingside walls l5 and I6 with an inwardly grooved portion I! or continuousindenture in each side wall just below the top wall. The indentures areadapted to be operatively engaged by gripping or other clamping elementsby which the channel is fixed the ceiling structure. Integral with thelower edges of the side walls 15 and 16 are horizontally disposedflanges I8 and 19, respectively, which extend in the direction towardseach other for a short distance. The flanges are formed with an integralup-turned portion 20 and a subsequent rearward extending portion 2| anda forwardly extending portion 22 which provide resilient facing groovesI I and I2 spaced inwardly a short distance from their respective sidewalls I5 and I6. Such grooved portions when formed in a manner describedin combination with their integral flanges may have the appearance of anS-shaped member.

The holder plate or base plate I0, which may be used in the practice ofthis invention, comprises a flat rectangular rigid member having a widthcorresponding to the span between grooves H and I2 such that the platel0 snaps into position between the grooves upon insertion from theunderside. Because of the resilient nature of the receiving grooves, aswell as the possibility of re1- ative longitudinal movement of the platewithin the grooves, the holder plate i subject to dis-- Other objectsand advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear, and forpurposes of i1: lustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of theinvention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is aperspective fragmentary view of a holder secured in position of use in achannel strip by means embodying features of this invention;

. Figure 2 is a sectional viewtaken along the line 2-2 of Figure l butshowing one snap fastener in position of use while another is shown inposition for displacement into position of use; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a snap fastener embodying features ofthis invention.

placement by intention or by inadvertence.

In order to fix the plate in its mounted relation, a new and improvedfastening means is provided which makes use of a series of slots 23 and24 arranged in spaced parallel relation with each other and therespective side edges of the plate.

Insertable through each pair of slots 23 and 24 in a manner which willhereinafter be'described to secure the parts in their assembledrelation, is a snap fastener 25 in the form of an As shown in thedrawings, the concepts of this elongate strip of resilient relativelyrigid material, such as plastic, spring metal and the like. One end ofthe strip is offset to provide a spaced curvilinear end portion which isadapted to be inserted through the outermost slot 23 in the holder plateand resiliently to engage the rear wall of the adjacent groove H or 12in which the plate is positioned while the other end of the strip isprovided with a flanged portion which snaps into the innermost slot 24to hold the fastener in its mounted relation. Morespecifically. thestrip is formed with a relatively flat body portion 26 which correspondsinlength substantially to the distance between slots 23 and 24. Integralwith one end of the body portion is an offset portion 21 having an end28 spaced from the body portion by an amount which is slightly less thanthe distance between the outermost slot 23 and the rear wall 29 of theengaged groove ll. Integral with the other end of the body portion 26 isa depending lip or flange 30 which may have an intermediate portion 3|offset in the direction of the outermost slot to establish a tensionedgripping relation when the lip is inserted through the innermost slot24. Instead of providing an offset portion 3|, the lip may be formed toextend at an angle slightly less than 90 with the body portion, or othersecuring means may be provided for causing the lip to snap intooperative position or for holding the fastener in its mounted relation.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the

curvilinear portion 21 is in the form of a semicircular section offsetto one side of the body portion and having a, diameter slightly lessthan the distance between the outermost slot and the adjacent edge ofthe plate plus the thickness of the material through the grooved sectionII. The end of the semicircular section has an outturned lip 32 toenhance establishment of the tensioned mounted relation.

In operation, a plate holder 19 having the necessary fixture holdingparts (not shown) thereon is snapped into position from below byinsertion between the grooves H and I2 of the channel strip I3 which maybe fixed in the ceiling structure. The curvilinear end portion 28 of thesnap fastener 26 is inserted from below through the outermost slot 23and then the body portion of the fastener is rocked in the direction tobring the body portion into juxtaposition with the under side of theholder plate Hl. While such swinging movement occurs, the end 28 of thecurvilinear section 21 resiliently engages the rear wall 29 of thegrooved flange and the lip 30 enters and is forced through the innermostslot 24. After the offset 3| is passed the lip snaps into position whichthereafter is tensionally maintained with sufficient force to resistinadvertent displacement of the snap fastener from its mounted relation.The snap fastener can be intentionally displaced upon the application offorce from within to displace the lip from the groove, whereupon thefastener may be swung to permit withdrawal of the curvilinear endportion. Suflicient force to displace the lip 30 may be secured by theuse of tools in the event that access cannot be had from within. Whenthe holder plate is held in position with a fastener for establishingoperative engagement with each receiving groove, the holder plate isfirmly held in position in a manner to resist displacement from itsmounted relation.

It will be understood that the features of this invention are notlimited to practice with channel members or lighting fixturesexclusively, but

that they may be employed in any arrangement wherein it is desired tomount a plate or like member in fixed relation between spaced grooves.The assembly described has the effect of fixing the spaced relationbetween the resilient side walls of the channel members or the spacedgrooves when the assembled relation has been established.

It will be further understood that numerous changes may be made in thedetails of construction, arrangement and operation without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In a lighting fixture, an elongate channel strip having an inwardlygrooved portion through the length of the strip in the side wall portionjust below the top wall, inwardly extending flanges integral with thelower free edges of the side walls, S-shaped members integral with theflanges to provide facing receiving grooves in closely spaced apartrelation with their respective side walls, a base plate dimensioned toseat within the grooves when in position of use, said base plate beingprovided with a pair of spaced inner and outer slots in parallelism withsaid side walls, and a snap fastener for each pair of openingscomprising a strip of resilient rigid material formed with the bodyportion corresponding in length to the space between slots, an integralportion oifset from the'end of the body portion and adapted to extendthrough the outermost slot to the side of the base plate opposite thatagainst which the body portion is located when in the assembled relationto provide a resilient end section spaced from the body portion by anamount slightly less than the distance between the outermost slot andthe rearward wall of the engaged groove, and a flange portion integralwith the other end of the body portion for insertion through theinnermost slot to establish a gripping relation which preventsinadvertent displacement.

2. In a lighting fixture, an elongate channel strip having a top walland spaced side walls extending therefrom in spaced apart relation, thefree edge portions of the side walls being turned inwardly and up toprovide a skirt portion in closely spaced relation with thecorresponding side wall, an outwardly extending curvilinear portion inthe intermediate portion of the skirt to provide facing grooves in theskirt portions, 2. base plate dimensioned to seat within the facinggrooves and cover the open end of the channel end when in the mountedrelation and having a pair of inner and outer slots spaced from the sideedges thereof, a snap fastener for securing the base plate to thechannel section comprising a strip of resilient sheet material having arelatively flat body portion corresponding in length to the spacedrelation between slots in each pair, a curvilinear portion integral withone end of the body portion adapted to extend inwardly through the outerslot and to extend into the space between the side wall and thecorresponding skirt and bear against the outer wall thereof when in themounted relation, and a tail integral with the outer end of the bodyportion adapted to enter the inner slot of the pair resiliently toengage the base plate when in the mounted relation to preventinadvertent displacement.

WILLIAM A. WEIBEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

